By MEAS SOKCHEA
THE PHNOMPENHPOST
Photo by: Heng Chivoan Prince Norodom Ranariddh greets members of the media after announcing his retirement from politics in 2008.
The Kingdom’s two royalist parties will hold a joint congress early next year, marking a key milestone in the planned reunification of the groups ahead of commune elections in 2012.
Funcinpec President Keo Puth Reaksmey said his party and the Nationalist Party, formerly the Norodom Ranariddh Party, will hold the congress in February or March in a bid to cement their merger.
He said the new party, which will go under the Funcinpec banner, would also make an effort to attract past members of the royalist movement, many of whom have defected to the ruling Cambodian People’s Party and other opposition groups since Funcinpec split in acrimony in 2006.
It is still uncertain whether Prince Norodom Ranariddh, Funcinpec’s former president, will return from retirement to lead the party. The veteran politician retired from politics in October 2008.
“Everything is up to Samdech Krompreah’s decision as to whether or not [he] will re-enter politics,” Keo Puth Reaksmey said.
“We are going ahead. If the prince is with us, we will get along better, but we will still go ahead without the prince.”
Nationalist Party spokesman Pen Sangha said both parties’ leaders planned to formally invite Prince Ranariddh to head the new-look Funcinpec.…read the full story in tomorrow’s Phnom Penh Post or see the updated story online from 3PM UTC/GMT +7 hours.
Funcinpec President Keo Puth Reaksmey said his party and the Nationalist Party, formerly the Norodom Ranariddh Party, will hold the congress in February or March in a bid to cement their merger.
He said the new party, which will go under the Funcinpec banner, would also make an effort to attract past members of the royalist movement, many of whom have defected to the ruling Cambodian People’s Party and other opposition groups since Funcinpec split in acrimony in 2006.
It is still uncertain whether Prince Norodom Ranariddh, Funcinpec’s former president, will return from retirement to lead the party. The veteran politician retired from politics in October 2008.
“Everything is up to Samdech Krompreah’s decision as to whether or not [he] will re-enter politics,” Keo Puth Reaksmey said.
“We are going ahead. If the prince is with us, we will get along better, but we will still go ahead without the prince.”
Nationalist Party spokesman Pen Sangha said both parties’ leaders planned to formally invite Prince Ranariddh to head the new-look Funcinpec.…read the full story in tomorrow’s Phnom Penh Post or see the updated story online from 3PM UTC/GMT +7 hours.
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